Korean football has let go of a large prospect to Japan. The protagonist is 17-year-old forward Dani Daichi (Korean name Kim Do-yun) of the Japan under-17 national team.

On the 8th, Japan shockingly drew 1-1 against Vietnam in the 'AFC U17 Asian Cup Group B second match' held at the Saudi Arabian Taif Okad Sports Club Stadium. With 1 win and 1 draw, Japan still leads the group but has failed to advance early to the quarter-finals, leaving the final group match against Australia on the 11th.

An even more shocking incident occurred than Japan's draw against Vietnam. A player who was once a promising prospect in Korea suddenly plays wearing the Japanese national team uniform. Japanese forward Dani Daichi played as Kim Do-yun in the FC Seoul youth system until middle school. He was recognized for his talent, going through the youth national teams in Korea, but suddenly moved to Japan and was selected for the Japanese national team.

Daichi's fame has become a topic of discussion. This is because his father is the popular singer Kim Jung-min from the 1990s. Kim Jung-min is a national singer who received the Golden Cup for five consecutive weeks on the Kayo Top Ten with the song 'Sad Covenant' in 1995. His wife, a Japanese woman named Dani Rumiko, was also a famous singer in Japan. The fact that their child is now a football player further attracts attention from both Korean and Japanese media.

However, the essence lies elsewhere. Daichi is a player who was originally recognized for his talent enough to play in the FC Seoul youth team in Korea. With a Korean father and a Japanese mother, Daichi is a dual citizen of Korea and Japan. Choosing to live in Japan as a Japanese person in his mother's country is his own decision.

The crucial issue is why Daichi chose Japan instead of growing as a football player in Korea.

In an interview with Japanese football media 'Soccer Digest' in 2024, Daichi revealed the reason for his decision to study in Japan, saying, "I wanted to go to Japan. If I was to transfer, I wanted to play for the strongest team. I played at a higher level in the third year of middle school at the J-League club Sagan Tosu."

In the end, Daichi judged that Japan offers a more favorable environment for significant growth as a player than Korea. This observation has some merit. In Korea, national team matches are played on poor grass fields, showcasing the dismal infrastructure. Every male must fulfill military duties upon becoming an adult in Korea. Son Heung-min, also from the FC Seoul youth system, resolved his military obligations with a gold medal at the Asian Games. It’s a challenging issue, exemplified by players like Seok Hyun-jun committing military-related corruption.

Furthermore, Daichi has a unique value in Japan. As a tall attacker, a 184 cm forward is appealing in a country where tall strikers are scarce. Sagan Tosu is known as the strongest youth club in Japan. Daichi gained significant attention in Japan by finishing as the national runner-up representing Saga Prefecture last year. If he continues to grow like this, moving to the J-League and joining the senior national team will be natural.

In an interview, Kim Jung-min said, "I support my son's dream of becoming a football player." If Japan offers a better environment for his son's growth as a good player, from a father's perspective, he cannot help but provide support. He cannot stubbornly insist that his son must play only in Korea.

Korea is already facing a reduction in promising football players due to a rapid population decline. The sight of Daichi playing with the Japanese flag is a cold and harsh reality for Korea. It’s likely that more cases like Daichi will emerge in the future. If Daichi, wearing the Japanese flag, defeats the Korean national team, it will hurt the hearts of fans even more.

In the future, Korea must improve its youth football infrastructure and reform the system to retain even the promising players that remain. Despite still operating under an outdated player development system that requires results in nationwide high school competitions to enter good universities, cases like Daichi will continue to emerge.

We need to consider why Japan is currently the strongest in Asia and how Korea has fallen.

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